Ahmad Sma'aneh coworker of Amad, age 23

I am an electrician at the Nablus fire department. During the curfew, we do not leave the station to do our work unless our chief, Yusuf al-Jabi, or the head of personnel movement, Nasser Abu Ghazaleh, ensure coordination between the Israeli and Palestinian DCOs.

On Saturday [10 August], I left the station with the driver, Taufiq al-Ashqar, to make repairs on a-Rahabat Street and at the Zamarat junction, in the southern part of the city. Then we drove toward the electric company, which is located east of Nablus. On the way, our fire engine broke down, so we replaced it with a Nissan commercial vehicle. A crane had been installed on the vehicle for use making repairs in high buildings and sites. The vehicle had a siren in the front. When we got to the electric company, another driver, Ahmad Jihad 'Abd a-Rahman al-Qerini, replaced Taufiq, who had completed his shift. Taufiq asked us to take him home. As we left the electric company towards the city center, I saw Israeli soldiers stop and search a white passenger car. According to our directives, if we see Israeli soldiers, we are to slow down. In general, we are instructed to stay away from streets with soldiers, so that they wouldn't delay us. We continued on our way and took Taufiq home, which was on a corner of Faisal Street.

Then we went back to the main road, past the Crystal Hotel. At that point, we saw Israeli soldiers stop a Rafidiya Hospital ambulance. Before we reached them, an ambulance of the Palestinian Medical Services passed us. I saw four Israeli soldiers. Two of them were searching the hospital ambulance, and the other two soldiers were standing on the side of the road. A soldier standing on the left side motioned us to go back. We backed up about two meters. Then he motioned for us to move forward, and he fired a shot in the air. We proceeded slowly. The Palestinian Medical Services' ambulance was about seven meters in front of us, and the soldiers were around twenty-five meters away. The soldier who was on the left side of the road aimed his weapon at us, motioned with his right hand that we proceed, and then fired two more bullets. One of the bullets pierced the front windshield of our vehicle and hit Ahmad in the head. The second bullet shattered the siren on the roof.

It was around 3:50 P.M. At first, I didn't realize what happened. I looked at Ahmad and saw that he was missing the left side of his head; the soldier's bullet had blown his head apart. I was screaming as the vehicle continued to move. I didn't know how to stop it. The vehicle hit the back of the Medical Services' ambulance. I called to the medical team to help Ahmad. The medics tried to come to us, but the soldier prevented it. He pushed one of the medics back. I continued to shout. Then an Israeli commander got out of the jeep that was standing there. When the commander saw Ahmad, he ordered the Palestinian medics to evacuate him. I saw the commander castigate the soldier who had opened fire. I asked the commander in Hebrew if he was the commander. With his head faced downwards, he said that he was. He seemed startled that his soldier had killed Ahmad for no justifiable reason. Later on, I saw the soldier who had fired at us and killed Ahmad speak with the commander. The soldier aimed his rifle up, and explained that he had only fired in the air.

Then the soldiers got into the armored vehicle and into the army jeep, whose number was 610799, and left. Ahmad was taken to the al-Itihad Hospital, which was close to where the incident occurred. I later learned that he died. His wife had died a year and a half earlier, and he left seven children, the eldest twenty years' old and the youngest five. They do not have any uncles who can take care of them.

Ahmad Dib Ahmad Sma'aneh, age 23, is a resident of Nablus. The testimony was given to 'Ali Daraghmeh, at the Nablus Fire Department, on 11 July, 2002